Syria (MNN) — It’s been just over two months since earthquakes devastated Syria and Turkey on February 6. In Syria, around 7,200 people were killed. People are still reeling, yet the crisis doesn’t top news reels anymore.
Samuel* with Redemptive Stories encourages readers to step into Syrians’ shoes. If the barrage of post-earthquake updates is fostering compassion fatigue, it’s not hard to imagine what Syrians must feel.
“You’ve heard about the big two earthquakes that happened on the same day on February 6, but there was another earthquake that occurred two weeks later on February 20 that had a significant effect,” Samuel says. “Everyone who was finally starting to get back to their homes once again had to run fleeing through the streets.
(Photo courtesy of Horizons International)
“Excessive fear is continually part of their lives. There’s been over 60,000 aftershocks that have occurred…. So the level of fear that people are living under, particularly children, is staggering.”
For Syrians, fatigue runs deep with fear. It’s been 12 years since the civil war began, followed by an economic crisis, COVID, food shortages, displacement, sanctions, and the list goes on.
It’s a problem too big for one person or even one ministry to solve. But nothing is too big for the Lord.
Your compassion and prayers are making a difference.
Pray the peace of Christ over all of Syria as people seek healing and hope.
Samuel asks, “Pray against the spirit of fear that exists currently through Syria, through Turkey, and through Lebanon. I’ve even heard today someone say that it’s a spirit [or] principality that is across the Middle East.
(Photo courtesy of Ahmed Akacha/Pexels)
“Secondly, the deepest prayer is that God would continue to provide for the needs of suffering people — 85-90% of the people that live in Syria continue to subsist on the relief aid packages because of the sanctions [and] the economic crisis.
“[Pray] that there would be healthy churches, healthy communities of believers that would continue to share as they are caring, and that they would respond well.”
Redemptive Stories supports Christian ministry efforts among Syrians. Amidst the rubble and devastation of war, they are seeing miraculous Gospel fruits.
“God is already moving,” says Samuel. “He’s going to keep moving and He’s going to keep changing people’s hearts and bringing them to Himself.”
Check back tomorrow as we talk about another antidote to compassion fatigue for Syria. Find your place in the story!
*Psuedonym
Header photo of boy sitting in a broken car in Syria, courtesy of Ahmed akacha/Pexels.
